The Land of Dragons
by Crystal Silvera
Summary: "Before the seven gems were found, none of the dragons had any feud against one another. They lived in harmony, and only the occasional fight broke out—and even then, the Head Dragon was able to settle it, even if the Head Dragon was believed to be an invader—then again, the dragons were quite carefree." This is how the dragons became so fiercely independent.


**And, yet another one-shot of mine! In majority of the Deltora Quest books, it says that the dragons were always independent and, even then, remained within their gem tribes and stayed well away from neighboring tribes. Why? Was it a natural instinct of honor or fear of the other dragons, as the books seem to imply? **

**I don't think so. I think there was something beneath that proud independence that the dragons showed. I think, in fact, that it has to do with the seven gems. Didn't the dragons know of the precious stones _before_ anyone or anything else did? This is my theory on the dragons' hostility towards one another!  
**

**And on that note, I don't own Deltora Quest concept, characters, trademarks, etc. DON'T SUE ME SCHOLASTIC!**

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_The dragons were the rulers of the land later known as Deltora long before it became refuge to people who went there to settle. Long before the seven tribes Diamond, Emerald, Lapis Lazuli, Topaz, Opal, Ruby and Amethyst. And long, long before the people were invaded by a tyrant of a neighboring island._

_Before the seven gems were found, none of them had any feud against one another. They lived in harmony, and only the occasional fight broke out - and even then, the Head Dragon was able to settle it, even if the Head Dragon was believed to be an invader - then again, the dragons were quite carefree. Their numbers were leviathan and they were willing to work together.  
_

_ But all that, also, was long before the dragons discovered the seven hidden treasures of their precious, free island. Seven magic, magnificent talismans hidden by the earth itself . . . the earth of the Land of Dragons.  
_

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**_PART ONE: _THE FIRST DISCOVERY . . .**_  
_

The first gem was found by a group of young dragonlings, digging the earth at their own amusement, marveling at the small treasures they found - things like bits of seashells, bones, and smooth rocks. But then one dragonling, luscious purple of color and named Dusk, felt his claws collide against something hard, smooth, and - there was no other word for it - _different_.

Dragonlings are small; small enough to fit in the open palm of a human hand. Dusk was that size, so the amethyst felt simply like another pretty stone, if not rather large, covered by the sand of the western shores. But it was the sense of calm that flooded through Dusk that shocked the young dragonling, if not only briefly.

"Dusk, are you all right?" The others had noticed the sudden stillness that gripped their friend, and they had trotted to his side. "Dusk?"

Slowly the dragonling was released from the vicelike grip of calmness that the amethyst lent to him. Blinking, he looked around, still confused by the soothing tide of the stone. When Dusk received his voice again, he cried, "There is something magical, special, beneath the sand, where I was digging!" At once, the other two dragonlings' eyes brightened. "Special and magical!" they echoed, and set at once to the task of unearthing the amethyst.

When they uncovered it, all three of them marveled at its pale beauty, the elegance of the lavender purple. They placed it among their other treasures and took them to the adult dragons, first to Dusk's mother Lira.

Lira noticed the purple gemstone at once, shining bright against the other dully colored treasures. The spines along her neck shot up in alarm, then she turned to face the huge-eyed dragonlings, who sensed her distress. "Where did you find this?" asked Lira, as calmly as she could - there was no purpose in upsetting the young ones. "On the beaches, Mother. We were digging and I found it," said Dusk, arching his neck proudly. Lira smiled, scooping up the gem and her dragonling. "Of course you did, my dear. Shall we show it to the Head Dragon sometime?" Dusk's eyes widened. "You would do that, Mother?" Lira's smile became even wider. "Yes, of course! This treasure cannot slip by the Head, now can it?"

But in truth, Lira feared the Head Dragon more than anything. To keep the secret of the gem was beyond her capabilities.

Not long after, Lira took the amethyst and Dusk to the huge forest where the Head Dragon stayed when he was not on errantry. To a dragon's wings, the flight was hardly long. The Head ruled the vast trees, and was guarded by a variety of forest creatures at the heart of the forest itself. And also patrolled by, of course, his steel-colored servant dragons.

None of the guards recognized Lira and Dusk as threats, calmed by the sight of the amethyst, the gem that filled them with simple serenity. And so Lira approached the keen-eyed Head Dragon, whose strange glinting silver scales shimmered in the leafy, dappled light of the forest. "What is the stone you behold, Lira?" the steely dragon rumbled, and the two dragons' eyes met.

Lira paused, then explained how Dusk had unearthed the amethyst.

"And we wish to present it to you," finished Lira, setting the gem before the Head Dragon. The Head stared at the amethyst, as if in a deep trance. Then, startling Lira and Dusk, his head suddenly extended and was nose-to-nose with Lira.

"Have you noticed that your scales are of the same hue that this magic stone is?" he breathed, half snarling.

The dragoness met the burning stormy gaze calmly, even though her heart was threatening to burst in fear. But she knew that she would have to protect her dragonling at all costs. "Yes, I have. Some others of those on the western coast do, in fact, Head." The silver Head Dragon nodded, and turned to Dusk.

"Tell me, young dragonling: Did you hear, by chance, of other stones like these?"

Lira roared furiously at the question, leaping in front of her dragonling protectively and readied herself to strike, standing between the Head and Dusk. "That question should have been directed at me!" she hissed, "Dusk is but a _dragonling_!"

But, to Lira's horror, the young one did know something. "Well, Rinn _did_ tell me that the green dragons are hiding an emerald," Dusk piped up, "And Cerah said that the golden ones near you also have an orange stone!"

The Head Dragon smiled, his eyes glinting. "They do indeed. Although I am curious at how mere dragonlings may know of their greatest secret."

At this, Lira burst. "_You have no right, Head!_ We are returning to the western coast, and you can carry on with this game about secrets and gems without us! Come along, Dusk!"

Glaring at the Head all the while, Lira swept up her baffled dragonling, spread her wings, and took to the sky.

They were only the first to deliver the gems of Deltora.

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**_PART TWO:_ . . . THAT LEAD TO THE EVERLASTING FEUD**

Word of Lira's meeting with the Head Dragon spread like wildfire, only altered so that Lira escaped death by a miracle. And soon enough, as the Head had planned, the emerald, diamond, opal, lapis lazuli, topaz and ruby came to the possession of the Head Dragon and his strange pale grey servants. Other dragons were furious at how they had given up their treasures. But, if they were willing to admit it, they actually feared the Head.

The steel-scaled dragon was not native of their land. They all knew it. But, slowly, the Head had wormed his way into power over the other dragons. But, then again, ruling them was no hard task when there was no fire to anger them.

Now there was.

Secretly, under a moonless night, twenty-one dragons - three from each hue - met at the heart of their land. There, they held a darkened, hushed debate.

_What are we to do with the Head Dragon?_ The same question came up again and again. _And the gems. How will we ever get back the treasures of our land?_

One diamond-scaled dragon gushed flame in fury and settled the question. "We will drive the Head out. He has never belonged to this island, our domain."

A purple dragon hissed and added, "As it began, so it will end - we were outcasts of the Realm of Dragons. Now, the Head Dragon and his servants will become the outcasts, and we the rightful rulers." The other twenty nodded agreement to her words.

"But there is one question still to be answered. When the Head is driven out, this land will be ours. It deserves a name." The bloodred dragoness who spoke smiled slightly. "After all, it has served us so well for so long, and remains still unnamed."

A blue and silver dragon roared flame into the sky, gaining the silence he requested with the starry fire. "We were of the Realm of Dragons before. This island should be named the Land of Dragons - as a reminder of who we are, but also as a symbol of a new beginning." The dragons assembled roared as one, lighting up the night sky with their flame as they declared their consent.

The twenty-one kept their word. Returning to their families, they grouped together the dragons of their color. Diamond, emerald, lapis lazuli, topaz, opal, ruby and amethyst gathered with others of their hue. Each three who had returned from the meeting announced the results of the discussion.

As the next moonless night came, the seven groups met, once again, at the center of the Land of Dragons. This time, however, it was to plan war. War on the steel-colored Head Dragon and his servants . . .

Their forces were huge. Thousands upon thousands of gem-colored dragons shone in the dark night, their scales blazing with the fire that they roared as their war cry. The silver and grey dragons scattered, roaring back but knowing it did little good. The anger of the native dragons, contained and kept under control for so long, was now unleashed at full power.

The Head Dragon's small army stood no chance against the wave of fury.

When the battle ended, when they had finally driven away the steel-colored dragons, those of the Land of Dragons gathered and declared themselves into seven tribes, each according to their own gem. They flew into the rising dawn, the dawn of a new beginning.

But it was also the new beginning of an everlasting feud.

At first, the tribes respected each other, smoothed over their differences. But without the Head to settle the small fights that erupted, jealousy and envy mounted. The older dragons tried to tell them to stop, stop! _They_ were the ones who had overthrown the Head Dragon. _They_ were the ones who knew what the seven gems could bring upon the dragons . . .

They also warned the younger generation too late. For by the time _they_ realized it, the seven tribes had become stolidly independent and hating of one another. The hostility, in fact, moved to such a great extent that dragons even refused help or acknowledgement of those in their _own_ tribe.

And soon it became a rigid code of honor to have every dragon for themselves.

Not to accept help from other dragons.

Not to cross tribe boundaries.

To guard the boundaries so zealously that it was allowed, and _expected_ even, to kill the trespassers.

After all, when Dusk the amethyst dragonling had unearthed the amethyst, he had been the start of a series of events that had unknowingly lead to the end of harmony among the dragons.

Never again would they willingly take to the skies together, to join together simply for pleasure and the joy of meeting others different from themselves.

Never again would they stand proudly together, forever ready to defend the Land of Dragons.

But as time passed, they would be forced together one last time.

That, however, is a different story in itself.

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**So what did you think? Was it good? Flame-worthy? Epic? Tell me in your review!**

**And I can also write an alternate explanation for the dragons' independence as well, but this is the one that's better. If you want me to write the alternate one, please review!  
**


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